Written by Founder, Amir Karam MD
Every year, as the holidays approach, people start thinking about how to look their best for family gatherings, parties, photographs, and special occasions. And naturally, I get a lot of questions about what treatments I recommend and when to schedule them.
My wife, Neda, has her own approach to getting holiday-ready, and I thought it would be fun to share what she actually does.
The interesting thing is that she doesn’t do very much differently.
Her skin is already in pretty good shape because she’s been taking care of it consistently for years. So rather than trying to make dramatic changes in November or December, she focuses on a few finishing touches that help her look especially refreshed.
And there’s a lot you can learn from her approach, whether you’re preparing for a holiday party, a wedding, a vacation, or any other special occasion.
Neda has been using the KaramMD Trifecta twice a day for approximately four to five years. It’s as much a part of her routine as brushing her teeth.
Every morning and evening, she uses Rinse, Quench, and Illuminate, a comprehensive skincare routine designed to address multiple aspects of skin aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, firmness, hydration, and uneven tone.
It takes only a few minutes, and she doesn’t skip it.
She also uses Polish, our enzymatic exfoliator, regularly and is incredibly diligent about sun protection, particularly during her morning walks.
The reason this matters is that healthy-looking skin isn’t something you can completely transform in the days leading up to a party. Improvements in skin quality develop through consistent care over time.
So by the time the holidays arrive, Neda already has a strong foundation.
The treatments she schedules before special events aren’t meant to compensate for neglected skin. They’re simply the finishing touches.
Early November: Time for Botox
One of the things Neda does before the holiday season is schedule her Botox so that the results have time to fully develop before the festivities begin.
Botox works by temporarily relaxing the muscles responsible for certain expression lines, particularly around the forehead, between the eyebrows, and at the corners of the eyes.
Unlike a facial, the results aren’t immediate.
Most people begin noticing an effect within several days, with the full result generally developing around 10 to 14 days after treatment.
That’s why timing matters.
If Neda wants to look her best for Thanksgiving gatherings or holiday parties, she typically plans her Botox toward the beginning of November.
This gives everything time to settle naturally and allows an opportunity for reassessment if needed.
I generally recommend scheduling Botox at least two weeks before an important event, and ideally a little earlier if it’s your first treatment or you’re seeing a new injector.
The goal isn’t to look frozen or dramatically different. It’s to soften expression lines while preserving a natural, refreshed appearance.
For Neda, Botox is simply a periodic maintenance treatment that she times around the occasions when she especially wants to look her best.
A Few Days Before the Event: HydraFacial
This is probably Neda’s favorite last-minute finishing touch.
A few days before an important holiday party or gathering, she’ll often schedule a HydraFacial.
Unlike Botox, which takes time to develop its effects, a HydraFacial is intended to provide a more immediate improvement in the appearance of the skin.
It combines cleansing, gentle exfoliation, extraction when appropriate, and hydration to help the skin look smoother, fresher, and more radiant.
One of the things Neda likes about it is how her skin feels afterward. It’s hydrated, smooth, and ready for makeup.
She might schedule one before Thanksgiving and another before a Christmas or New Year’s celebration, depending on our plans.
For someone who’s had HydraFacials before and knows how their skin responds, a few days before an event is generally a reasonable window. If it’s your first time, I recommend allowing more time in case you experience temporary redness, irritation, or an unexpected reaction.
And I would avoid aggressive extractions or trying an unfamiliar treatment immediately before a big occasion.
The closer you get to an important event, the more conservative your treatments should become.
What About Microneedling? It’s Already Part of Her Routine.
Neda also undergoes microneedling on her neck approximately every eight weeks.
This isn’t something she specifically starts doing for the holidays. It’s part of her ongoing approach to maintaining the quality of her neck skin.
The neck is an area that requires special attention because its skin is relatively thin and can become increasingly crepey with age.
Microneedling creates controlled micro-injuries in the skin, stimulating a wound-healing response that can support collagen remodeling over time.
It’s not an instant treatment. Improvements generally develop gradually, often over multiple sessions.
When Neda’s next session falls around the holidays, she simply looks at the calendar.
She typically experiences a day or two of redness afterward, so she schedules the treatment to avoid interfering with any events.
But recovery varies from person to person. Some people experience redness, swelling, or irritation for several days or longer, depending on the depth of treatment and their skin’s response.
That’s why I wouldn’t recommend scheduling microneedling for the first time immediately before an important event.
The same principle applies to laser treatments and chemical peels. These can be valuable tools, but they require appropriate planning and recovery time.
The holidays aren’t the time to experiment with an aggressive treatment you’ve never tried before.
Why Neda Doesn’t Need Filler
This is another question that comes up frequently, particularly because injectable fillers are often promoted as a quick way to look younger before a special occasion.
Neda doesn’t use facial filler.
When she was 52, I performed her Vertical Restore, my comprehensive facial rejuvenation procedure, along with facial fat transfer.
The Vertical Restore repositioned the facial tissues that had descended with age, while fat transfer restored volume where it had been lost.
As a result, she doesn’t need filler to compensate for lost volume or to try to lift tissues that have descended.
This illustrates an important distinction I discuss with patients all the time: skin quality, facial volume, and the position of facial tissues are different aspects of aging, and they require different solutions.
Botox can soften dynamic wrinkles. Skincare improves skin quality. Fat transfer can restore volume, while surgery can reposition descended tissues.
The goal should always be to identify what actually needs improvement rather than adding treatments simply because they’re available.
Traveling for the Holidays? The Routine Comes With Her.
If there’s one thing Neda doesn’t compromise on, it’s her daily skincare.
We travel quite a bit, and whether we’re away for a weekend or a longer vacation, she brings her Trifecta Travel Kit so she can maintain the same morning and evening routine she follows at home.
She also brings sunscreen and makes sure she’s protecting her skin when we’re outdoors.
I think this is one of the easiest habits anyone can adopt.
Travel, late nights, and holiday celebrations can make it tempting to skip skincare, particularly when you’re tired.
But a simple, familiar routine is much easier to maintain than one involving eight or ten different products.
For Neda, the goal is to make maintaining her skin effortless, regardless of where we happen to be.
Your Holiday Glow Timeline
You don’t need to do everything Neda does. In fact, you may not need any professional treatments at all.
But if you’re thinking about preparing your skin for an upcoming occasion, here’s a practical way to approach it.
Four to six weeks before: Evaluate whether you’re due for Botox or another maintenance treatment. If you’re considering a procedure that involves redness, peeling, or downtime, discuss the recovery timeline with your provider.
Two to three weeks before: Allow Botox results to develop, continue your regular skincare, and avoid making major changes to products that are already working well.
Three to seven days before: If you’ve previously had good results with a gentle hydrating facial or HydraFacial, this can be an appropriate time for a finishing touch. Avoid aggressive extractions or unfamiliar procedures.
The day of your event: Keep things simple. Cleanse, moisturize, protect your skin from the sun, and follow your usual skincare and makeup routine. Don’t experiment with something new just because it’s a special occasion.
And throughout the entire season, prioritize the things that support healthy skin every day: consistent skincare, sun protection, nutritious food, adequate sleep, and staying physically active.
Neda’s Approach: Maintain First, Enhance Second
When I look at Neda’s skincare strategy for the holidays, the lesson isn’t that everyone needs Botox, microneedling, or a HydraFacial.
It’s actually the opposite.
Because she’s been consistent with her skincare for years, she doesn’t have to scramble to get her skin ready for a special occasion.
She simply maintains what she’s already built and occasionally adds a little extra polish.
That’s the approach I encourage my patients to take as well.
Invest in your skin throughout the year. Keep your routine simple enough that you’ll actually follow it. And when a special occasion comes along, choose treatments thoughtfully, allowing enough time for them to work and for your skin to recover.
Looking your best for the holidays shouldn’t require a complete transformation.
Sometimes, all you need is a little finishing touch.
Happy holidays from Neda and me
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.